Despite the fact that not all samples arrive on the state's timetable, the Health Department said there was no backlog in the testing for genetic or metabolic diseases.

Written by

Shortly after birth, babies in New York are tested for genetic disorders - tests that could help doctors identify and treat rare ailments that could lead to severe disabilities or even death.

Potentially dire delays in such tests nationwide were uncovered in a report earlier this month by the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
.

Because "screening has the potential to save or greatly improve the life of a newborn," according to the New York Department of Health, the state requires hospitals to ship those samples to the state lab within 48 hours of being collected. To speed things along, the ...